Jeweled Eyes
by Wynn of Hyrule
Summary: Set a year after Sephiroth's fall, the heroes of Final Fantasy 7 reunite. Now, a new evil hangs over their lives, and alongside new allies and old friends they must work to stop a mysterious villian with an all-too familiar face. Please R&R.
1. Prologue

Prologue 

_No_… 

_I don't want to die_! _I don't want to go out like this_! 

The man felt himself falling, plummeting through nothingness. Gone was the pain the blade had left him, gone was the agony that came with each breath. He could no longer feel his body, and knew he was dead. 

(_Ha ha ha_…) 

He tried to look for the source of the laughter, but saw only darkness. He desperately cried out, hoping for help, but dreading the worst. 

_Who's there_? 

(_The one person that can help you_. _The one person able to give you what you want_.) 

The man could almost make out the silhouette of a spiky-haired young man sneering at him. He cringed, partially with hope, partially with fear. 

_What do you mean_? 

(_You fear death_, _but it has come for you_. _Your life is over_. _But_, _I can give it back to you_. _I can give you all that you want_…) 

Thoughts whirled through the man's head. He tried to remember, but couldn't. Finally, a single image came to him, along with a feeling. He could see a beautiful young woman, saying something he couldn't hear. He latched onto the thought, holding on to it like a life preserver. 

_What do you want from me_? 

(_Your services_…_for a short while_. _And then_, _you can live_, _be free_. _Just help me_, _and I will give you your life back_.) 

The man held his head, shaking. He tried to ignore the feeling of wrongness coming from the other. The thought of the woman returned, and he nodded. 

_I'll do it_. 

A smirk came across the face of the other, and there was a cold glint in his eyes. 

(_Good_. _Good_. _Come with me_, _and we shall have the world_.) 

Light erupted around the man, and he shielded his eyes. He tried to move, but couldn't. Pain returned to him, growing, and then he fell unconscious. 

****** 

_Estuans interius _

_Ira vehenti_

Sephiroth… 

_Estuans interius _

_Ira vehenti_

The blade of the Ultima weapon… 

_Sephiroth _

_Sephiroth_

The look of disbelief on Sephiroth's face as he was finished by Omnislash… 

_Sors immanis _

_Et inanis _

The dark man, disintegrating… 

_Sors immanis _

_Et inanis_

Meteor, crashing into Midgar… 

_Veni, veni, venias _

_No me mori facias_

Holy, failing to stop it… 

_Veni, veni, venias _

_No me mori facias_

The Lifestream, saving the day… 

_Sephiroth _

_ Sephiroth_

Aeris… 

****** 

Cloud Strife jerked awake, holding his head. He opened his glowing blue eyes, and cast a glance towards the window of his villa. He could see the sun rising. A new day had begun.

Author's Note: Well, folks, here's my secondary project. I've been working on it for a while, and I like how its shaping up, so I figured I would go ahead and post it. A warning: posts will be slow on this fic, at least until after finals. Then...who knows? Anyways, enjoy the fic, and, as always, comments, compliments, and criticism to hyrules_hero@hotmail.com . Until next time. ~Wynn Pendragon 


	2. 1: A Different Kind of Reunion

Chapter 1 A Different Kind of Reunion 

"Open the damn door, you moron!" 

Cloud groaned as he woke up for the second time that day. Wearily wiping his eyes, he pushed the covers off himself and sat up on the bed, swinging his legs off the side. He stood, and stumbled towards the door. 

The sounds of banging echoed through the villa. Cloud grasped the door handle and opened the door, sighing as he saw the man standing outside. Over six feet tall, black, and burly, Barret Wallace crossed his arms as he looked toward the other. "'Bout time you got your lazy ass out of bed." He uncrossed his arms, and placed his right arm, which ended in a large gun surgically attached in place of the hand, against the wall of the house and leaned. 

"Can it, Barret," Cloud mumbled, swiping a lock of spiky blonde hair out of his eyes. "Why are you here so early in the morning?" He brushed a bit of lint off his favorite purple shirt as he waited for an answer. 

"Can't a guy visit his pals without gettin' interrogated?" Barret said indignantly, brushing past Cloud and into the villa. Cloud sighed, closing the door. Barret yanked a chair away from the table and fell into it, ignoring the squeal of protest from the chair's legs. 

"Who is it, Cloud?" mumbled Tifa Lockheart, leaning against the doorframe that led into the room where both slept. She wore a nightgown, and her dark hair fell over the light material, far past her waist. Her eyes were clouded with sleep, and she covered a yawn. 

"Well, ain't this cozy!" Barret roared. 

"Different beds, Barret," Cloud mumbled, pulling up a chair and sitting down. 

Tifa nodded, although her expression was one that conveyed her disappointment toward that situation. She crossed the room and sat in a third chair. She propped her head on her hands, and looked to Barret. "So, what brings you here?" 

A smile came across the man's face, and he stroked his facial hair. "That's the surprise." 

"Oh?" Tifa questioned, smiling. "What kind of surprise?" 

"Heh. You'll see, soon. They should already be here, but no doubt someone held them up while she finished emptying her stomach," Barret chuckled. 

Both Cloud and Tifa smiled. They knew at least part of the surprise. 

"Jus' like them to be late. Hell, if it wasn't for those new modifications they made, which I ain't supposed to tell you about, they would never get nowhere on time," the large man grumbled. 

Just then, there was another knock on the door. Cloud slid out of the chair and opened the door, then was nearly bowled over by a wave of people as they streamed into the villa. 

"Cloud, hey!" 

"Greetings, Cloud-" 

"About damn time-" 

"Hey, watch the tail-" 

"Urp!" 

Cloud was knocked against the wall as a teenage girl, covering her mouth as she ran, dashed frantically for the bathroom. Sounds of retching echoed through the house. 

Cid Highwind scratched his head as he walked farther into the house, staring in the direction the girl had gone. "Never understood why she puked like that every time we fly." 

Cloud laughed self-consciously and scratched the back of his head. "You wouldn't." 

Cid laughed loudly, running a hand through his own short blonde hair. "Wuss." He flicked what remained of his cigarette out the door, narrowly missing the head of Cait Sith, who protested loudly, and pulled another from the pack strapped to the side of his head by his pilot goggles. "So, did Barret get here, or do we have to wait on that pile of-" 

Barret, who had risen from his seat and had walked over to the two, laughed and smacked Cid on the back of the head. Cid's eyes bugged as the cigarette was knocked from his mouth by the force of the blow. 

Cloud chuckled, and walked past the two, welcoming the others. Cait, an odd little cat, megaphone in hand and a crown perched jauntily on his head, leaned on the head of the giant stuffed Moggle he always rode. In truth, Cait was merely a toy, controlled by another man, Reeve. However, it was obvious the other hadn't been able to come, so he had sent the next best thing. 

"So, is Tifa here too?" the cat queried, smiling broadly. Cloud nodded, and he smirked. "I'm not surprised." 

Red XIII walked past, sniffing the air. He was a 3'9" feline, with red fur, flaming tail, and intelligent eyes…well, eye, a scar went across the other. "Hmm…what is that smell?" 

Cloud grimaced, and motioned toward the garbage can. "Tifa had to work late last night, so I made dinner." 

Red sniffed again, then wrinkled his nose. "Tried to, you mean." 

"Yeah, well…" 

Red smirked, then made his way on past the chairs, which weren't quite comfortable for quadrupeds. Cloud turned to the next member of the group, Vincent Valentine. As usual, Vincent was dressed in black, with flowing red cape. His black hair fell past his shoulders, and bangs fell over his eyes. His left arm ended in a metal claw, and a gun was holstered at his side. He nodded to Cloud, and followed the others. Cloud turned, watching him go. Vincent never was much of a talker. 

The group made their way to the lounge, where couches and chairs dragged from the living room could accommodate everyone. All sat down, but conversation didn't begin until Yuffie entered the room. She had left her weapon, the large throwing star named Conformer, and her arm guard on the airship. Seventeen and with short black hair and tight clothes, she was usually quite energetic and spunky, but was rather subdued from her time spent over the toilet, regurgitating whatever she had eaten for the past while. As she passed, Red XIII covered his nose with his paw, trying to avoid the atrocious smell of her breath. 

"So, what brings you all here?" Cloud asked curiously, looking from one member of the group to the next. 

It was Cait Sith that answered. "Well, we haven't really seen each other since…y'know…" He fell silent, wincing. "It's been a year, to the day…" 

Cloud flinched. Cait was right. A year ago…their final clash with Sephiroth and Jenova, the destruction of Meteor…the day the world had nearly died, and it had been Cloud who had finished the one that had tired to murder it. 

"It was Reeve that came up with the idea of our own little reunion," Red said, hurrying on as he noticed Cloud flinch once again. "We came to discuss everything that has gone on in our lives, to hang out for a while." 

Tifa smiled. "Great!" 

Red XIII nodded. "And, there's another surprise we wanted to show you, at the Highwind." 

Cloud nodded, and started to say something, but Barret violently coughed and sent him a glance to keep silent. Cloud smiled, and motioned for Red to continue. 

However, it was Vincent that spoke next. "We all have been quite busy, it seems." He made a gesture to Cloud. "What have you been doing for the past year?" 

Cloud sighed. "Very little. There isn't much to do anymore. I've helped fight off a few monster attacks, did odd jobs…nothing stable." 

Tifa smiled from her seat on the couch next to Cloud, and ran her hand up his back, letting it rest on his shoulder. "I've got a job at the bar next door. It pays well enough, with all the tourists." 

Cait, the next in line, smiled brightly. "Well, since ShinRa is out of the picture, I've gotten involved in a new corporation, as one of the heads. However, this one is trying to clean up the mess ShinRa made. The Avalanche Foundation has already put several Mako reactors out of commission, including scrapping what was left of Fort Condor's, and we've begun work on the underwater one at Junon Harbor. We've also helped the governments of several towns along, since ShinRa ruled practically everything, and we've started an army, paid for by donations from the various governments." 

"And that's where I come in," Barret boomed. "I'm one of the guys responsible for whipping the A.V.A. into shape." 

"A.V.A.?" Tifa questioned. 

"Avalanche Volunteer Army," Barret proclaimed proudly. "When those guys started the organization, they remembered how we fought ShinRa in the old days, and named it after us. Now, we've got an army started up, to help out against all those monsters ShinRa's Mako reactors spawned. Most of those professional soldiers ShinRa had have enlisted, and they're on our side now." 

Cait chuckled. "Barret's been walking around, bossing everyone he sees that's in a uniform. I think it agrees with him, myself." 

Barret nodded solemnly. "Damn straight." 

"How's Marlene?" Tifa inquired. Marlene was Barret's daughter, or at least he was the man that had raised her. Dyne, her father and Barret's old best friend, had been killed by ShinRa, or so Barret had believed. In truth, Dyne had survived, although he, like Barret, had lost a hand and had had it replaced by a gun-arm. Dyne had gone crazy over the years, and had attacked Barret, who had been forced to kill him. 

At the mention of Marlene, Barret broke out into a smile. "She's doin' well in school…that kid's got a good head on her shoulders." He seemed to swell with pride. 

Cid took it from there. "I've been in Rocket Town, cleaning up what's left from ShinRa Number 26. After that rocket launched, there was no need for the launch pad, so we dismantled it. We've started on a small airstrip near the town, too." 

"How's Shera?" Tifa inquired. 

Cid snorted. "Why the hell would I care? I don't pay any attention to her anyways…" 

Most of the group smirked. Shera was the woman that lived with Cid, and took care of him. She was hopelessly devoted to him, even though he verbally abused her every few seconds. However, certain moments had given the others reason to believe Cid cared more about Shera than he would ever allow himself to show. 

"Red?" Cloud questioned. 

The feline nodded to him, looking at the man with his one good eye. "I have stayed in Cosmo Canyon, learning how to protect the planet. The Elders there have taught me much, since Grandfather…left on his journey." 

The others nodded. Red XIII had never been able to bring himself to admit the fact the man he had always looked up to as a grandfather had died. Bugenhagen had warned Red, but Red had denied the fact the old man was ready to pass on. Now, though, they had said their goodbyes, and Bugenhagen was gone. 

"How about you, Vincent?" Red questioned, a catch in his throat. 

The dark man bowed his head. "I…have been…occupied…" 

It was enough for the group. Vincent had had a hard life, as they all had, and was almost always silent, his mere presence saying enough. He seemed cold on the outside, but those close to him knew of his inner torment. Vincent was haunted by guilt and personal demons, and he spent his life trying to atone for those crimes that had caused him such pain. 

Yuffie, smiling, went next. "Since ShinRa fell, Wutai has risen to its previous glory. We no longer depend on tourism. No more sitting around defeated for us!" 

Cloud groaned. He and the others had visited Yuffie's home village, Wutai, several times. ShinRa had defeated the conquering town, and they had chosen to submit. However, Yuffie had objected, crying that they must rise up again. It had been her role in the battle against Sephiroth that had helped Wutai regain its fighting pride. 

Cait's smile grew. "Well, it's great to be able to see you all again! I'm glad we could finally get together." 

Everyone nodded. Cid stood, and motioned to Cloud. "Well, enough of this. Come on, I've got something important to show you." 

The group fell in behind Cid. As they walked out of the villa, Cloud turned; taking a long hard look at the house he had spent the past year in. Something nagged at the edge of his senses as he looked at it, but he ignored the premonition. He had more important things to attend to now. 

He turned, and walked away. 

****** 

"Will you look at that!" boomed Barret, chuckling as he looked at the new, improved, heavily modified Highwind. The massive airship floated in the air above their heads, shining in the sunlight. It had gone through quite a few changes since Cloud and Tifa had last seen it. After the final battle with Sephiroth, it had been nearly destroyed, with what little remained in very bad shape. Cid, however, along with Shera, master mechanic as well as maker of a great cup of tea, had been able to whip the airship back into shape. 

The crew waved to the group from the small platform below the ship. Former pilots and crew from when ShinRa owned and operated the Highwind, these men were now quite loyal to Cid and the others. They had all been lucky to have been near the cockpit when the Highwind had exploded out of the Northern Crater, saving their lives. They gave a final wave, and hurried back inside, preparing the Highwind to depart. 

Cloud stared up at the ship. It was indeed very different than the ship that had been nearly demolished that day. Rocket engines thrummed with power. Sharply curved wings swept away and back from the nose. The ship was much more streamlined and aerodynamic than before, looking more like an organic sea creature than a man-made creation. 

Cloud whistled low as he stared. "Niiice." 

Tifa nodded her approval. "You sure have done a lot of work on it." 

Cid swelled with pride. "You better believe it! Now she's faster than ever! Sweet handling…incredible power…more room…" 

He then launched into a technical description of almost every change they had made, most of which Cloud and Tifa ignored. 

"…And of course she screwed it up, but I was able to straighten out…took me hours…but-" 

"That's very nice, Cid. Shall we board?" Cait Sith asked, clamping his hand over the mouth of an indignant Cid. 

"Do we have to?" moaned Yuffie, who already was holding her stomach. 

"Let's get this show on the road!" bellowed Barret. 

"Come on Cloud, let's get this over with," said Tifa, grinning broadly. 

"Sigh…do you all know how hard it is to climb a rope ladder with four legs?" Red complained. 

The Highwind lowered, dropping down till the bottom of the observation platform was nearly to their heads. One of the crew threw down the rope ladder, and one by one, some with more difficulty than others, climbed aboard. 

Cloud smiled at the familiar interior of the Highwind as he walked toward the cockpit. Even though it had nearly been destroyed, it all seemed the same. Sure, here and there were shiny new parts, and the crew ran around performing tests, but it was all as it had been before. The memories the ship brought back in Cloud prompted him to give a sigh of nostalgia. 

"She never changes, does she?" whispered Tifa. 

"Never, thankfully," Cloud replied, inspecting each familiar corner as he stood at the bottom of a flight of stairs. 

"I wouldn't go that far," Cid remarked, taking heed of the silencing glares several gave him and not elaborating on how the Highwind had changed. 

"Who cares? As long as I can get out of this bucket of bolts soon, I'll be happy!" Yuffie exclaimed, taking her usual position near a railing. Obviously, the crew had taken her into account, because below that railing was a bucket welded to the side. 

The others followed Cid into the cockpit, which was a blur of activity. The loyal crew dashed from shining console to beeping control panel, pressing buttons and turning knobs. Cloud held a hand out to steady himself as he felt the Highwind lift high into the air, feeling as if his stomach had decided to stay on the ground. From the rather loud cry of protest/hurling sound Yuffie had made, it seemed she felt the same way. 

"Where to, Captain?" asked the pilot, a rather young man with an enthusiastic grin. 

"Cait?" Cid asked, glancing at the feline. 

"I-…one second, something's happening at the base." Cait said, and slumped over, his controller occupied at the moment. 

Red yawned. "Places, everyone." He walked toward his usual corner, and then curled up, snoozing within seconds. 

Vincent, without a word, performed a magnificent backflip over a railing and landed on his usual platform. "I hate it when he does that," Barret mumbled, taking his place with Tifa near the main console. 

Cid leaned on the main console, right next to the pilot. "Take her toward the base, real slow," he instructed, and got a crisp salute in return. 

Suddenly, Cait snapped back to life. "Hey! Great news!" 

"What?" said the others simultaneously. 

"We've got some…surprise guests at the compound. Some people I know at least one of you would…heh heh…die to see." An almost evil grin crossed the cat's face. 

Barret scratched his head. "What the heck are you jabberin' about?" 

"You'll find out, soon enough. But, let's hurry on!" Cait said, beaming. 

Everyone turned to Cloud, who grinned. Just like the old days, he thought bemusedly. Pumping a fist into the air, he shouted, "Move out!" 

He nearly fell as the pilot shoved a lever, taking the Highwind's speed to maximum. He blushed slightly as everyone snickered, excluding Yuffie, who was occupied at the moment. Yep, thought he, just like the old days. 


	3. 2: Three Resurrections and a Funeral

Chapter 2 Three Resurrections And A Funeral 

"This is Control to Highwind, come in…you are clear to do a drop near landing area three…over." 

Cid smirked as he picked up a microphone. "This is Highwind to Condor Control…do you really expect us to come that close to all those hunk-of-junk ModGels down there? Over." 

Cloud chuckled at this, leaning on the console next to Tifa. "Give them a break, Cid." 

"Hell no. You down there, Control? Over." Cid snorted, exhaling smoke. 

"Control to Highwind. The Administrator has just informed me to tell you what you can do with your precious Highwind, over." 

"Hey!" Cid yelled indignantly, shooting a venomous glare to a shrugging Cait Sith. 

Sighing, Cid grumbled into the mike. "We'll drop on your crappy landing area three, but be sure and tell the Administrator to kiss my ass, O.K.? Over." 

"Control to Highwind, sure thing. Over." 

Cid cursed loudly as he dropped the microphone. "Nice people you got working for you, Reeve." 

Cait again shrugged. "Administrator Diana is one of our most dedicated workers. She's a former ShinRa that hated her old job, and just jumped for the chance to work with us." 

"Yeah, well, sounds like she has a nice telephone pole up her-" 

"She's your type of person, Cid." 

"Bite me, Reeve." 

Yuffie, appearing from the stairs leading from below, moaned loudly. "Are we there yet?" she whined. 

Cid smiled evilly as the pilot made a rather violent turn, stopping right over the landing platform, which was far too small for the Highwind to land on. Instead, the eight would climb down, and the Highwind would land a distance away, awaiting their summons. 

Tifa turned to look for Yuffie, but she wasn't there. A disgusting sound informed the group of Yuffie's opinion of the pilot's maneuvering. 

"Come on people, let's not keep the paper-pushers waiting," sneered Cid, who was rewarded with an insulted cry from Cait. 

The group made their way to the observation platform, before climbing down the rope ladder to the platform. As Cid, the last in line, touched the ground, the Highwind roared off, engines blazing. Cid watched it go, a look of pride and awe on his face. 

Tifa stopped, looking around. They were at Fort Condor, which had once been a crumbling reactor rebels had defended, fighting off wave after wave of ShinRa mercenaries. Cloud and the others had helped defend the fort, and finally the base had been left alone while ShinRa dealt with other problems. 

Now, however, the fort had been made into a massive complex, towering over its former height. Airstrips had been constructed, barracks built, parade grounds were teeming with soldiers. It was an impressive military base, with the large building it was centered around a corporate office. At its top were the offices of the leaders of the group, including Reeve. 

They made their way past several bulky airplanes. Rounded and reminiscent of footballs with wings strapped to the top, they were oddly familiar to Cloud. Seeing Cloud's confused look, Cait stopped and pointed to one. "These are the Modified Gelnikas, or ModGels, Cid was talking about. Great for transport, not so hot for battle." 

Cloud nodded. "I remember exploring that crashed one, out in the ocean." 

Cait grimaced. "But instead of carrying biological weapons, these will be used for supply drops. They're modified with weaponry, in case of an attack. These can actually defend themselves, unlike the ones ShinRa made." 

"I just hope they don't share the fate of that one in the ocean," Tifa said, cringing. 

The group made their way onward, into the building. It was lavishly decorated, with flowers making the massive lobby colorful. Cait led the group past businessmen and women, to an elevator with glass walls. The cat slid a keycard through the controls, and pressed a button for one of the top floors. 

As the elevator rose upward, the group, with the exclusion of those squeezed in the middle of the rather cramped space, gazed around at the scenery. They could see the military complex, and, as the elevator rose higher, the mountains of the area. The building had quite a view, Cloud mused. 

When the elevator came to a stop with a 'ding!', the group filed out, into the corporate office area. They made their way past many businessmen, looking severely out of place. They made an interesting group, with a spiky-haired man, a burly soldier with a gun arm, a lithe woman, a ninja, a sentient lion, a man often accused of being a vampire, a surly pilot, and a cat riding a giant stuffed Moogle. 

They came to a stop near a pair of wooden doors with Reeve's name inscribed on a golden plate on both. Cait pushed them open, and they were in a smaller room, with a door leading into Reeve's office, and the secretary's desk. Once she saw Cait, the secretary, a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, large brown eyes, and a pleasant smile, stood and led the group into the next room. There, Reeve stood behind his desk, gazing out a window. The secretary came up to the desk, and announced, "Visitors for you, Mr. Reeve." 

A smile on his goateed face, Reeve turned, and nodded to the woman. "Thank you very much, Danielle. You may go to lunch early, if you please. I won't be taking any calls for a while." 

The woman nodded slightly, and left with a grin and a "Thank you, sir." Reeve watched her go, then turned to his friends. 

Cloud smiled at the sight of Cait Sith's operator. He was older than Cloud and Tifa, but still not old at all. It was quite surprising, how far he had come in his short life. He had been one of the administrators of the world's largest company, and then one of the leaders of the company that was cleaning the mess the other had made. He was dressed smartly in a dark blue suit, with a serious blue and red tie. His goatee was neatly trimmed, and not a hair was out of place. However, the grin on his face threw all seriousness aside. 

"Hey!" he shouted, grabbing Cloud and Tifa in a hug. 

The others returned his smiles, and a few words of greeting were said before they got down to business. 

"So, are you all ready for the big surprise?" Reeve inquired, a smile going from ear to ear. 

"Whatever it is, just tell us or show us or whatever!" yelled Yuffie. 

The others nodded, and Reeve pressed a button on his desk. "You see, earlier today a few people came by the offices. They demanded to see the people in charge…accused us of stealing their name! They mentioned someone's name, they sent them to me, and I took it from there." 

Barret scratched his head. "What the hell are you talking about?" 

Reeve leaned back on his desk and crossed his arms. "You'll see." 

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Reeve called for whomever it was to enter, and the door opened, revealing three figures very familiar to Cloud, Tifa, and Barret. The first was a thin young man, with messy black hair and a scowl on his face. The second was a young woman, with long brown hair. The third was another young man, but far bulkier than the others, and he alone bore a grin. All wore armor, but carried no guns, as security had insisted on taking them. 

Barret's mouth dropped. "What the…I'm seeing ghosts!" 

Cloud and Tifa gasped, as did the other three. The young woman shrieked, "Barret? Tifa? Cloud?!?" 

"By Alexander, it's you! I thought you all had died!" cried the smaller young man, mouth agape. 

"Biggs? Wedge? Jessie?" shouted Barret. "There's no way you could have survived the destruction of Sector 7!" 

"We could say the same," said the heavy man wryly. 

Cloud could remember well his adventures with the trio. Members of the original AVALANCHE, he had joined them as a mercenary, helping them destroy reactors in Midgar. Their final battle together had taken place at the pillar that held the city above the Sector 7 Slums far above the roofs of the derelict homes and junk. ShinRa had detonated a bomb on the pillar, collapsing it, letting the plate fall onto the slums, killing all below. Before the battle between Barret, Tifa, and Cloud against one of ShinRa's elite, Reno of the Turks, Cloud had found Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie all gravely wounded. They had been believed dead after the plate had collapsed, and it had been luck that had saved Cloud and his friends. 

"How did you survive?" asked Tifa incredulously. 

"It was all thanks to that girl, the one in pink. She told the people in the slums to carry us to safety. While you were trying to stop ShinRa from destroying the pillar, we were being carried away, through underground tunnels." Jessie explained. 

"We believed you had been killed by those lousy scumballs…we all were nearly crazy with guilt. We tried to attack ShinRa's corporate headquarters, but we were captured by those damned Turks. They shipped us off to the Corel Prison, but we escaped. We tried to come here, to help defend the fort, but when we stowed away on a cargo ship, some soldiers cornered us, and instead they locked us up in Junon. We stayed there through the Meteor crisis, and, after ShinRa dissolved, they let us go," Biggs, the skinnier man, explained. 

"We owe it all to that flower girl…is she here? How is she?" Wedge asked. 

Cloud hung his head. "Aeris…was killed by Sephiroth. She saved us all…but had to sacrifice herself in the process." 

The other three looked to the ground, and Jessie wiped a hand across her eyes. "She seemed so nice…I'm sorry she had to die…" 

"Yeah, me too," Cloud said thickly. 

Tifa placed her hand on Cloud's shoulder. "There will be time to mourn later. Let's talk! I'm sure you want to know about how we've been, and I'd love to hear about your adventures-" 

A phone rang, cutting her off. "Excuse me," Reeve said, slipping a hand into his pocket and retrieving the cellular. He opened it, and spoke quietly into it. As he shut it, he made no attempt to disguise the look of concern on his face. "Sorry to break up the reunion, people, but we have an emergency here. Tifa, if you would come with me…Cloud, you too." 

The two met Reeve's serious glance, then looked to each other, and then the group. Nodding, they followed him as he made a quick pace for the elevators. Cloud swallowed as they stepped inside. He didn't know what the problem was, but he could sense it meant trouble. 

Reeve pressed the button for a lower floor, then leaned against the glass wall, biting his lip. Cloud and Tifa started to ask him about the problem, but the elevator plummeted, dropping far less smoothly than it had risen. 

Once they reached their floor, Reeve led them out, into a more sterile environment than the lush lobby or extravagant offices. They passed multitudes of security guards, several casting nervous glances toward the armed Cloud. As the trio went through automatic door after automatic door, Reeve turned several times, leading them on a path the others would have trouble retracing. Finally, they came to a thick metal door guarded by two men with lethal-looking rifles. 

Reeve nodded to the guards, then walked past, tapping digits into a keypad. The door slid open, and Cloud and Tifa stepped forward, but the guards blocked the door. 

"They're with me," Reeve said gruffly. 

"Yessir!" the men chimed, stepping aside and saluting. 

As the trio entered the next hall, which had a lab/hospital air to it, Reeve chuckled dryly. "Those guards…they are a bit enthusiastic, at least." 

The group walked on, stopping at another guarded door. Reeve waved, and the guards allowed them to pass into the next room. As they entered, Tifa gasped with shock. 

The room was definitely medical. Life support systems chimed, and the rasp of respirator-assisted breathing stole all life from the air. In the center of the room was a bed, with an ancient man sleeping peacefully on it. Tifa ran to the man, eyes widening with recognition. 

"Zangan!" 

At the sound of his name, the man opened his eyes weakly. He stared at the face above him, then attempted to speak. "T…Ti…Tifa? Tifa Lock…heart?" 

She nodded rapidly. "Yes, its me! Your former student!" 

Zangan, once acclaimed the greatest martial arts expert in the world, had been the one to instruct Tifa in the art of fighting. She had been his star pupil, and he had stayed in her hometown, Nibelheim, for many years, until an incident had occurred, shattering all of their lives. That incident had been named Sephiroth. 

A smile slowly formed on Zangan's face. "I'm glad…I could see you…one last time…Tifa." 

Shocked, Tifa shook her head. "No…don't say that…" 

Zangan coughed loudly, and long, before replying. "It is true…I am dying. But, at least…I can give you what I have discovered." 

Tifa's face was solemn. "What do you mean?" 

The elder smiled again. "I was exploring…on the icy Northern continent. I found myself…near the Northern Crater." 

Cloud's eyes narrowed as he watched from beside Tifa. Northern Crater had been the site of their final clash with Sephiroth. 

"It has changed…no longer a crater, but an immense military base…its bigger than anything I have ever seen, even Midgar…I went closer, saw a helicopter…It had…the ShinRa logo." 

Everyone in the room gasped. ShinRa, still around? It was impossible! 

"The base was under construction…nearly finished. I tried to get even closer…but, they saw me. I ran…but, a man with a huge sword…" 

He fell back, exhausted. Reeve and Cloud exchanged worried looks as Tifa stroked Zangan's hand. "Oh, Zangan…" 

"Tifa…Cloud…stop them…stop ShinRa…do not allow…another Nibelheim…" As he said those words, the breath rattled in his throat, and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. The life support machines cried out, and Cloud led a crying Tifa away, his arm around her shoulders. 

The group walked away from the room, Cloud leading Tifa as Reeve slowed, looking around. He froze, then set off on a different path, walking up to a woman standing nearby. She was dressed conservatively, with smart business clothes and brown hair in a severe-looking bun. She nodded respectfully to Reeve as he walked up, and he returned the gesture. 

"Diana, I need you to lend one of my friends, the pilot, our fastest scouting plane. We have a catastrophe on our hands, and we need information." 

The woman nodded. "I'll see to it immediately, sir." 

Reeve shook his head. "Oh, and one more thing. We're going to need all the help we can get on this one. Do me a favor, and call the blue team in. Do you understand?" 

She nodded again, but there was hesitation in her eyes. "Yes, sir…" 

Reeve smiled grimly. "I know. I don't completely trust them, either. But, this might be one tough mission…and they're the best." 

As Diana walked away, Reeve barely resisted the urge to sink to his knees and pretend the day had never happened. If ShinRa was back, it could mean only one thing. 

War. 

****** 

Hours later, Cid Highwind grimaced as he looked down onto the bustling metropolis. He pulled the stick to the side, and the scout plane turned away. Thumbing the radio on, he grudgingly called out to his friends. 

"This is Kid to Poppa Snow. We have a penguin nest, I repeat, we have a penguin nest." 

As he flew away, he wished he could chuckle at the outrageous code, but found the situation to be far too serious. He frowned, pressing the plane as fast as it could go, hurrying away. 

Behind him, the mammoth ShinRa base loomed, weapons bristling. 


	4. 3: It's Our Job

Chapter 3 It's Our Job 

Once Cid had returned, the group again gathered to discuss what they had learned. Wedge, Biggs, and Jessie had immediately followed Barret's directions, going straight to enlist in the Avalanche Volunteer Army. The others met Cid in Reeve's office. All agreed that the ShinRa base must be investigated further, but most had difficulty believing Cid's estimations of its size. 

"It was huge! Twice as big as Midgar, I'd say. Weaponry everywhere, choppers buzzing around like flies on a dead dragon. I haven't seen that many damn ShinRa logos in my life!" Cid cried. 

"Hell no! ShinRa can't be back! Who the hell's gonna lead it? Prissy-boy Rufus got flame-broiled by a WEAPON, Daddy ShinRa got skewered by Sephiroth, Fat Boy and the Tramp got blown to bits in their robot…heck, Reeve, you're the only ShinRa head left!" Barret roared. 

Reeve grimaced. "Actually, Palmer's out of intensive care, but he doesn't count." 

Cloud shook his head. "Are you certain-" 

"Naw, I made it all up!" 

Red growled. "We need to get more precise information. Inside information." 

"Yeah, well, who can we send? I sure as hell ain't going!" Cid sulked. 

"I ain't traipsin' into a whole nest of ShinRa!" 

"I'll pass." 

"Since I'm the head of the competition, I doubt they'd give me a warm welcome that didn't involve flamethrowers." 

"I'm a thief, not an idiot." 

"Same thing," Cid pointed out. 

"Shove it, Cid," Yuffie glared. 

Cloud shook his head. "My face is too well known." 

"Cloud's right." 

The group looked at the one person who hadn't spoken. Vincent eyed them coldly, then said, "You don't expect me to go alone?" 

Reeve smiled. "Of course not. However, I'm glad it's you going. Others…might not like the company." 

Suddenly, the door chimed. Reeve looked at Barret, then stopped. "Just remember…you have to hear the whole story before you can jump to any conclusions." 

He hit the button, and the door slid open. In walked three people, all dressed in blue suits. The suits were all neatly pressed, with no wrinkles and perfect creases. The three walked with measured steps, and their faces held the same cold expression. It was obvious the three meant business. However, those three always meant business; they were the Turks. 

The first was obviously the leader. His dark red hair jutted upward in spikes, and his emotionless eyes swept over the group from his angled face. A sneer/scowl dominated his face. In his right hand was an electro-pole, which was perched jauntily on his shoulder. 

The second was a young woman. Her hair was short and blonde, and her face was rounded. Her blue eyes widened with shock as she recognized the others, and she took a step backward. 

The third was a man, taller than the others. He was bald, and his eyes were covered by impenetrable sunglasses. His face betrayed no surprise at seeing the others, but all knew that he almost never showed any emotion at all. However, his hands clenched into fists. 

The effect the three had on the others was much more profound. Cloud drew his sword, Red growled threateningly, Cid had his spear at ready, and Tifa shifted into a fighting pose. The only one that didn't show aggression was Reeve, who stood between the two groups, arms spread to separate them. However, as Barret took aim, he realized he didn't want be caught in the crossfire, and dove to the side. The two groups stood ready, weapons at hand, and waited. 

"Long time, no see, Cloud," said the leader of the other group. 

"Not long enough!" growled Barret. 

"So, Reeve, is this how you wanted to get rid of us? I didn't think you had the heart," sneered the leader. 

"No, Reno! I didn't plan on them assassinating you, I need your help-" 

"Forget it!" Barret yelled, his gun pointing right at Reno's head. 

"Like we would help you anyways!" cried the young woman, concealing her favorite weapon in her hand. Seeing this, Reeve grimaced. The janitors would definitely complain about having to clean up grenade blasts. Of course, if it went off, he wouldn't be around to hear the complaints. 

"Shut up, Elena," Tifa said quietly, ready to pounce. 

"We should have known better than to trust you, Reeve. You were a traitor to ShinRa all along! I never would have thought you would talk us into coming down here, to your office, just so you could have your buddies try to knock us off! Well, we won't give you the chance! We are the Turks! We don't just die that easily! It will take more than you seven, eight to kill ShinRa's elite! You will rue the day you challenged the Turks! You will-" 

"Elena?" Reno interrupted. 

"Yes sir?" 

"You talk too much." 

Elena sighed, dejected. 

"Reeve, why _did_ you call them here?" Cloud questioned, his eyes never leaving the three before him. 

Reeve leaned against the wall behind him, and lowered his head. "You all know, we need help. As our conversation before they came in proved, there are not many of us that can infiltrate that base. So, we need help, and there aren't many that are up to that job. So…" he paused, smiling ironically, "I called in the best." 

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Reeve," Reno sneered. "But money will get you everywhere. What's our job, and how much?" 

Reeve looked the other in the eye. "There's a report of a ShinRa base on the Northern continent. Reports say it is huge, and has enough weaponry to take out any city on this planet. We need a small team to infiltrate the base and report back to us on its military strength, as well as ShinRa's plans, and who is leading them. You will be working with one of our men on this job, as well." 

"We work alone," Reno snarled. "And, it'll take a lot of cash to convince us to take on something that big." 

Reeve's eyes glittered coldly. "It is in your best interest to find out about ShinRa, anyway. After all, they will view you as traitors. You'll be right below us on their hit list. But, since we'll be number one, we will pay you quite a bit for this. Say…a couple million Gil?" 

Elena's eyes widened. Reno smiled. The third Turk, Rude, who had yet to say anything, nodded appreciatively. "Who will we be babysitting?" Reno asked sarcastically. 

Vincent stepped forward. "I will be going with you on this mission." 

Elena smirked. "The vampire?"

The rest, which were already hostile toward the Turks, prepared to lash out. 'Vampire' had been a common label for Vincent, due to his pale skin, and the fact he had been asleep in a coffin for many years thanks to the cruel experiments of a ShinRa scientist, Hojo. However, the others viewed it as an insult to their friend. 

Vincent, however, almost smiled. "Insults and snide comments, common weapons of the weak." His smile became cold. "Don't be weak. You are a Turk." 

Elena clenched her fists. "And what would you know about being a Turk, demon?" 

Vincent chuckled eerily. "I once _was_ a Turk, dear. Trust me on that." 

Reno looked him over. "I don't recall you from the files." 

"My files were classified." 

"No Turk files have been classified for twenty years!" 

Vincent didn't say a word. He had been in the coffin for at least thirty. 

Reno glared at Vincent, then nodded. "You can tag along. Just don't get in the way." 

"Who the hell said we were letting you three out of this office?" Barret threatened. 

"Wait until our job is over, pal, and then we'll finish this old score," Reno promised. 

"Yeah, we still owe you for some of those times you humiliated us in front of the boss!" Elena proclaimed. 

"I haven't forgotten Rocket Town," growled Rude. His voice was deep and gravelly. 

"Neither have I, Mr. Clean," chuckled Cid. 

Rude took a step forward, fists ready to cave in Cid's head. However, Reno blocked his path with the electro-pole. 

"Wait till after the job," warned Reno. He turned back to Reeve. "You will supply us with transportation to the Northern continent, as close as you can get. We'll need other supplies, which we'll help ourselves to. We'll be ready within in an hour." 

Reeve nodded, and Vincent stepped forward, coming beside the Turks. Elena eyed him nervously, but the other two paid him no mind. "Oh, and Vincent…I have something for you. I thought you might be the one to go, so I had it specially made…its sitting on a box in the supply room," Reeve said, smiling broadly. 

Vincent nodded, and the four were gone before the others could say a word. Reeve sighed in relief, but gasped as a big hand grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air. His face slowly changed to the color of the Turk's suits as Barret shook him violently. 

"What the _hell_ has gotten into you, Reeve! Have do you know they ain't gonna go runnin' back to their old jobs? They could knock off Vincent any second!" 

Reeve choked, motioning frantically to his throat. Barret ignored the gestures. "And why did you call them without talkin' to us, first? We're on the same side, now, pal, and don't forget it." 

"Put him down, Barret," Cloud ordered, authority in his voice. 

"Listen, Cloud-" the big man started. 

"I _said_, put him down." Cloud's voice was sure, and there was no mistaking the command in it. 

Barret sighed, dropping the asphyxiating Reeve. "He shouldn't have done it," Barret said, looking reproachful. 

Cloud nodded to Reeve. "Now, tell us, why you called them in without speaking to us first." 

Reeve panted, catching his breath, before answering. "We need…(wheeze)…them. They are the only ones able to get into that base undetected-" 

"We understand that," said Red, "but why didn't you tell us?" 

Reeve jerked his head toward Barret, scowling darkly. "I figured I would get shot for suggesting it." 

Barret looked away sulkily. Cloud shook his head. Tifa was next to speak. "I suppose what you did was understandable…but, next time, consult us first." 

Reeve nodded. Cloud looked to the others, and motioned to the door. "Reeve, I believe you said you had rooms for us? It seems we're going to need all the rest we can get." 

"Erm…yes, we have rooms. Just ask the guards, they'll take you to them." Reeve said. Once the others had left, he let out another sigh of relief. 'One problem down,' he thought, 'one million to go…' 

He looked around his office, and then out the window. 'Looks like Cait Sith will be going into battle soon. Hope I'm able to help," he thought, and then walked away from the window, heading to his quarters. The world shined behind him. 

****** 

Reno resisted the urge to whistle under his breath. He had expected a large supply room, but not _this_. He walked toward the center of the warehouse, looking around. To either side were crates of Potions and Phoenix Downs, Ethers and Elixirs, Hypers and Hero Drinks. He allowed himself a brief smile, nothing more than the slight incline of one side of his lips, and moved toward a crate, tossing supplies in. 

The other three started doing the same. Within minutes, the four had more supplies than they would probably ever need. Reeve would throw a fit, thought Vincent. But, he did offer it to us…his mistake, rationalized the man. With an imperceptible shrug, he walked away. 

Just before he walked out the door, he noticed something that looked out of place sitting on a crate. He turned towards it, remembering what Reeve had told him. A small smile of amusement appeared on his face as he lifted the blue form, inspecting it. He could hear the other Turks chuckle. He turned towards them, holding it before him. "This could come in handy." 

The four walked away, Vincent carrying a blue Turk's uniform. 

****** 

Cloud yawned as he fell back onto the cushy mattress in the room Reeve had provided him with. He had extinguished the bright lights, and the room was completely dark. Too tired to even pull the covers down, he laid on the bed, eyes closed, and let sleep take him. 

At least, he would have, if there hadn't been a knock at his door. With a groan, he climbed out of his bed and stumbled towards the door, cursing under his breath as his foot found the protruding leg of a chair. He finally found the door, and pulled it open, squinting at the sudden intrusion of light. 

Standing behind the door was Tifa. She was wearing her nightgown, and it was obvious she had been trying to sleep. She smiled up at Cloud, meeting his eyes. Then, her expression turned to one of regret. "Oh, Cloud, I'm sorry! I couldn't sleep, and I thought you'd be awake…" 

Cloud gave her a weary smile. "Don't worry. I wasn't even asleep yet." 

Her smile returned. "Good!" She didn't say another word, merely looking at him. 

It took Cloud a moment to realize she was waiting for an invitation. He chuckled weakly, then stepped out of the way, holding the door open for her. "Come in, if you'd like to." 

She did. He fumbled for a light switch as she moved over to the bed, feeling her way as she went, careful not to trip. By the time he found the light switch, she was already sitting on the bed. He crossed the room, sitting beside her. 

"So…" he started, searching for something to say. 

"It's started all over again, hasn't it?" Tifa asked suddenly. 

Cloud looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?" 

She sighed. "The battles with ShinRa…the traveling around the world…the fighting…" She looked at him. "I have to admit, I missed some of it…but…" 

Cloud nodded. "Adventure has always been in my blood…but there's always a chance that it will spill my blood." 

She nodded, a look of worry on her face. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But, at least we don't have to worry about…" 

"Sephiroth." Cloud's voice was cold. 

Tifa nodded, looking down. "Cloud…" 

He looked at her. 'What is it, Tifa?" 

She shook her head. 'N…Nothing." 

He smiled softly at her. "You can tell me anything, Tifa. You know that." 

She smiled slightly. "Thanks…Cloud." She fell back, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "But sometimes…I just wish things could be quiet for us, you know?" 

The hero nodded. "Well, I'm glad things aren't too quiet. I mean, life would get boring, and what would be the fun of that? Well, it wasn't that bad in Costa Del Sol, but I missed the traveling, the fighting. I even missed Cid and Barret and the rest! Still…I can understand your point of view. The life we had for the past year is gone, thanks to ShinRa Inc. And we still don't know anything about them. Why are they at the Northern Crater? Who's leading them? And why haven't they attacked yet? Knowing ShinRa, they are planning something big. And why such a huge base in a remote place? I just hope Vincent and the Turks make it back O.K., don't you, Tifa?" 

His only reply was a soft snore. Tifa had passed out on his bed. He chuckled quietly, pulling a pillow down, gently lifting her head, and placing the pillow underneath. She smiled sweetly in her sleep, not waking. Cloud moved over to a cushioned chair and plopped down, asleep within moments. 

****** 

"It's cold." 

That understatement had been Rude's only comment during the whole journey to Icicle Village. Reno had sneered at that, but had said nothing, sparing his long-time partner's ego. The helicopter that had brought them to the Northern continent had dropped them quite a distance away, fearful of being detected by ShinRa surveillance equipment before they could let the Turks off. Afterwards, the copter had flown away, towards the base, hoping to get a few aerial pictures before they returned to Avalanche HQ. 

Elena rubbed her arms, trying in vain to warm herself. "So, how do we get down the hill?" 

'Hill' was an understatement in this case. The incline was so steep it would be almost impossible to climb up, and going down would be hazardous to one's health. However, at the bottom were snowy plains, and past them were the almost purely vertical Gaea's Cliffs, the last obstacle before the Northern Crater. 

Reno looked around the tiny town. Few people were out, and those who were were bundled tightly in coats and scarves. A few children scurried about, building snowmen and hurling snow at each other, but other than that the place was nearly deserted. The sun would be down soon, Reno knew, and they would be best to be at the base by then, or as close as they could be. The cold was enough to knock out any person during the day, but at night, it was even more brutal. 

A slow smile came across Elena's face. Motioning to the others, she stepped into the store. Reno shook his head tiredly, instantly knowing what Elena had planned. Vincent eyed the closed door carefully, and Rude said nothing, as was expected. Reno sighed, and then walked to the door, pulling it open, the silent Turks following. 

Several minutes passed, and then the group emerged from the store, with quite a bit less Gil. They now wore much warmer clothing, and were carrying the items that would get them down the hill with more ease. Reno, Vincent, and Elena carried skis and ski poles, Reno holding his poles over his shoulder like he carried his electro-pole. Rude hadn't been as fortunate, as he had narrowly lost the last pair of skis to Vincent, and he carried a snowboard. 

The group walked off, toward the hill. Vincent hung back, watching the others, listening to his conflicting emotions. It had been so long ago, when these three were still mere children, when he had been a Turk. He had served ShinRa with pride, at first. Then, love for another had tied him to ShinRa and the Turks. ShinRa was dead now, but the Turks lived on. Now, he had no ties, no one to answer to, no one to serve, no one to live for. He had lost his only reasons to live. 

Now, however…Now, he had friends. Now, he had a purpose. He smiled grimly. And perhaps he could serve that purpose best…by once again wearing the blue suit of the Turks. Chuckling to himself, Vincent set off, following in the footsteps of the few he had always thought that he had left behind. 


	5. 4: Back in Action

Chapter 4 Back In Action 

"Mister Reeve, sir, wake up! Mister Wallace requests your presence in your office!" cried Danielle's voice from the intercom next to Reeve's bed. With a loud, most likely obscene, grumble, Reeve rolled over in his bed and hit the button on his com. 

"Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes," Reeve moaned weakly, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Switching off the machine, which Reeve regretting ever having placed in his chambers, the man sat up in his bed, wondering why Barret needed to see him so urgently. 

"Shit! The parade! I forgot!" cried Reeve, shooting out of his bed, flailing about as the sheets caught his foot. After a rather painful landing on the floor, he pushed himself up, uttered a few more not-so-nice words for his sheets, and then grabbed his suit. 

It was only years of practice that saved him. Within a few minutes, he had his suit on, immaculately in order as always, and was out his door. Dashing down the halls, only slowing whenever some came within sight, he was at his office ten minutes after he received the call. Stepping past a smiling Danielle with a nod, he entered the room that was his home most of the week, closing the door behind him. Before him were a snoozing Red, a yawning Yuffie, a puffing Cid, and an irate Barret. 

Before Barret could start, Reeve held up his hand. "I know what you're going to say, and-" 

He might have known what Barret was going to say, but that didn't stop Barret from saying it. "Where the hell have you been? The parade starts in a few hours, and you gotta be there! You know how hard we've worked on getting this ready! Man, I've been busting my-" 

"Where's Cloud and Tifa?" Reeve interrupted. 

"How the hell should I know?' Barret yelled, his eyes bulging. It was very obvious he was worried about how well the men he had trained would perform in the parade. He had indeed worked hard to train the men, but Reeve feared for the man who screwed up today. Barret wouldn't let him live it down…or just not let him live, period. 

Yuffie smirked. "I knocked on Tifa's door this morning, and yelled at her a few times, but no one answered. I guess she wasn't in there." 

Everyone chuckled. They all had suspicions as to where Tifa slept the previous night. Only Red had other ideas. There was something amiss between the two…something that had changed, and not for the better. They all knew what had occurred at the Northern Crater, before their final battle with Sephiroth…yet, the two were much more distant. That wasn't right. And, it was obvious Tifa still loved Cloud very much…yet… 

"I'll go get them," Cid volunteered. Red's eyebrow rose at the smirk on Cid's face, but he said nothing. The group watched the blonde man go, flicking a cigarette into the garbage can as he left, another lit before the previous one had landed. With their minds full of amusing ideas about exactly what Cid would do to get the pair, they looked to each other, laughed, and then went back to what they had been doing: talking about the parade. 

"So, Barret, has everything been prepared for the parade? Have all the uniforms been cleaned, all the men know what they are going to be doing?" Reeve inquired, leaning on his desk. 

"It better be ready," Barret growled. "The uniforms have all been cleaned, yeah, and the men…well, after all that drillin' I've been making them do, they'd sure as hell better know what they'll be doing!" 

Reeve chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll all turn out fine. I'm actually pretty anxious to see your work. Any surprises?" 

This cooled the other's temper. "Heh heh…yeah, I got a surprise. 'Course, Cloud'll throw a fit, but it'll be fun!" He guffawed. "That is, if he and Tifa get outta his bed." 

Meanwhile, the pair he was speaking of were both peacefully snoring, Tifa snuggling her pillow on the bed, Cloud sprawled out in the chair. For once in a long time, Cloud was no longer troubled with nightmares. His sleep was sound and dreamless, and he was getting some much-needed rest. 

Not for long. Without warning, a loud banging erupted from the door, followed by shouts. "Cloud! Get out of your damn bed! Tifa! I know you're in there!" 

Cloud groaned, pushing himself out of the chair, fighting to stay standing. Tifa moaned, moving the pillow to cover her ears. Cloud weakly stumbled toward the door, resolving to rip out Cid's vocal cords at his first possible opportunity. Cid, however, was busy giving him more reason to do so. 

"Lazy asses! I know you all didn't get much sleep, but that's your problem! Next time, go to bed earlier if you're going to-" 

Cloud ripped the door open. Cid found himself looking down the lethal blade of the Ultima Weapon, which was resting at his throat. Cloud's shadowed eyes met his, and he heard Cloud growl. "Another word, and you'll have a new place to smoke out of." 

Cid chuckled weakly. "Heh…they need you up at Reeve's office." 

"Who is it, Cloud?' came Tifa's sleep-ridden voice from further inside the room. Cid's eyebrows rose, and a smirk appeared, but the Ultima weapon pressed harder against his throat. 

"Why?" Cloud demanded. 

Cid smirked again. "You'll see. I had, eh, better be getting back to them. See you later!" And before Cloud could object, even if he had wish to, Cid was gone. 

Shaking his head, Cloud stepped back into his room. He could just imagine what was going to be said. His only consolation was, there were worse situations he could be in. 

****** 

Vincent was in one of those situations. The dark man looked down the hill he was expected to ski down. He could see it winded and twisted, impossibly steep, until it reached the bottom far, far, _far_ below. Trying to ski that hill was the closest thing to suicide Vincent had ever encountered. 

Reno glared at Elena. "You're crazy." 

She smiled at him, mock innocently. "Maybe." 

"Shall we?" Vincent inquired. 

Reno grinned, a tad too evil for any of the other's tastes. "Ladies first." He motioned toward the hill with a gentlemanly sweep of his arm. 

Elena, however, smiled even more broadly. "Why, thank you, Reno." With a quick thrust, she was jetting down the hill, almost flying. The three watched her round a curve and disappear from view. 

"Damn rookie." Reno was gone almost as fast, racing to catch up to her. 

Rude stepped up to the edge, his facing betraying no fear, or anything for that matter. "He always has to show off. He hadn't been like that since he was the rookie. Now, though…since Elena joined and Tseng died, he has to be the best." Rude looked to Vincent. "He needs to lighten up." 

Vincent watched the man zoom down the hill on his snowboard after the other two. He noted that what Rude had just said was more than he had ever heard the near-mute say put together, then dismissed it from his mind. Within a second, he was soaring down the hill, the air on his face and the feeling of flight within him. It wasn't long until they had all reached the bottom. 

One after the other, each Turk reached the bottom. However, before the icy plains was a massive drop off. Each flew over it, soaring through the air as if they were birds, hanging in nothingness before plummeting to the ground. Vincent watched as the other three hit, landing harder than they had probably intended, before he too was launched into the sky. He watched the ground rush up to meet him, and the pure white world turned black. 

****** 

Cloud sighed as he leaned his chair back on its hind legs. The parade had been interesting at first, but now it was beginning to drag. He could only stand so much of watching men in old ShinRa uniforms with big Avalanche badges marching around and holding their rifles. Parades were not his type of entertainment. 

He chuckled as he remembered the parade he had taken part in over a year before. It had been during his pursuit of Sephiroth, before Meteor. He had been forced to sneak into Upper Junon, unfortunately at the same time as a parade for the ShinRa president, Rufus. Before he had known what was going on, a ShinRa commander and his two rather simple-minded soldiers had whisked him away, slapped a uniform on him, and got him ready for the parade. Not really knowing what was happening, he had just followed along, and had ended up on the cargo ship that Sephiroth had also infiltrated. 

Cloud chuckled as he remembered the three ShinRa troops that had helped him. 'I wonder what ever happened to those goofballs?' he thought. He had met them again on a ShinRa submarine, and he and his friends had taken them prisoner, hijacking the sub. He could remember when he had shown them his signature finishing move, twirling his sword, or rifle at the time, three times before sheathing it. The trio had loved it, even though they had never won a battle to use it. 

"Yo, Cloud, you might want to watch this. The end is coming up," Barret boomed, a broad grin on his face. Several of his other friends were also smiling evilly. 

Cloud nodded, watching the lines of blue uniforms. Suddenly, three men stepped to the front. With a loud cry, they raised their rifles, or saber in the case of the red suited commander, and began to twirl it three times, before sheathing it. All down the line, each of the hundreds of men did the exact same finishing maneuver. _Cloud's _maneuver. 

The entire group burst out in laughter, save Cloud, whose jaw was hanging open and eyes opened wide in disbelief. The commander must have heard the laughter, because his face fell, pride replaced by hurt. With a sigh, he gave the order for the men to 'about-face' and march away, in essence beating a hasty retreat. 

It was Reeve who saved the poor man's self-esteem. Quickly standing, forcing the amusement from his face, he began clapping and cheering. Soon, all followed his example, even Cloud, who had a rather chagrined expression. The commander turned, a look of surprise and pride on his face. With a cheer, the men began to repeat the finishing move, and then marched away. 

"Interesting parade, eh, Cloud?" Reeve commented wryly, watching the troops disappear into the barracks at the end of the parade grounds. 

"Yeah, a riot," Cloud grumbled. 

"Well, look at it this way," Cid commented. "At least they can't copy your hairstyle too. That is, unless they all buy a hairspray company." 

Cloud sighed. It was going to be a long, long day. 

****** 

"Ugh…" 

The world was a glaringly bright ball of sheer pain. Reno rubbed his temples clumsily with numb hands. He felt like he had just woken up from a weekend-long beer binge, and had somehow managed to slam the toilet seat on his head again while puking before bed. It was a feeling he was more and more becoming used to, but that didn't mean he had to like it. 

He gave his head one last shake to try to clear it, and looked around. Since he had somehow managed to end up on his back, all he could see was the cursedly bright light above. His senses finally kicked it, and he regretted it immediately thereafter. The first thing that came to him was the biting cold. However, he was numb enough that it had less effect than it should; that wasn't probably a good thing, but he could care less at the moment. He had probably left the air conditioning on too high in his apartment. Second, he noticed the pressure on his chest. He looked toward his feet, and all he could see was the top of someone's head. A blonde. He smiled to himself. He had always liked blondes. Once again, he thanked his best friend, alcohol, for one more chance to wake up sleeping with a girl he did not recognize. 

"Oh, my aching head…" groaned the girl, coming to. 

Reno's eyes widened. Her. He groaned as well. He would never have believed that there was enough alcohol in the world to get him drunk enough for him to…with… 

Elena opened her eyes weakly, and looked up. Her eyes grew. "Oh, shit." 

"Get off!" Reno shouted, and the two quickly stood. They looked at themselves, noticing with relief they were both still clothed. 

Elena looked around. "Reno?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Have you noticed we're outside?" 

He glanced to both sides. "Yeah…" 

"And there's snow everywhere?" 

"Yeah…" 

"Why?" 

Reno urged his mind to work faster. Thinking and headaches do not mix, he concluded. He gasped. "The mission!" 

Elena nodded as everything came flooding back to her. "Rude? The vamp?" 

Reno searched the ground near them. Rude was close by, his bald head planted deeply in a snow bank. And the vampire…? 

"You are awake." 

Reno jumped a foot into the air at the sound of the quiet voice coming from directly behind him. "Dammit! What the hell are you doing, you crazy son of a-" 

Vincent smiled slightly. "I apologize if I startled you." 

"…just because you look like a friggen' vampire doesn't mean you have to act like one, you-" 

Elena nodded to the taller man, her eyes glittering as she ignored Reno's tirade. "No problem. Stealth is always a good trait to have." She grinned mockingly at the fuming Reno. "Of course, it really doesn't help with Mr. Pleasant over there cussing what little brains he has out." 

"Ha! I'll show you stealth when I shove this ski pole straight up your-" 

Vincent gave a slight nod to Rude. "We should wake him up soon. Night will fall soon, and the cold will be unbearable then." 

Elena nodded, falling to one knee, shaking Rude to wake him. She looked up at Vincent to say something, but hesitated. The dark man had frozen in place, his eyes alert and his hand slowly trailing down to his pistol. Elena started to ask what was wrong when disaster struck. 

"Freeze!" came a stern voice from behind Vincent. Squatting on a snow-covered cliff near them was a man dressed in a blue Shin-Ra soldier's uniform, with rifle aimed at Vincent's head. None of the Turks budged, and the soldier moved toward them, his aim never wavering. 

"Alright, throw down your weapons and follow me, or I'll shoot you where you stand. Do you hear me? I said, move, and I mean-" 

In one swift motion, Vincent drew his weapon and spun to face the guard. If the man hadn't been wearing the full Shin-Ra helmet complete with goggles, they might have seen his eyes widen with shock, but they never got the chance. With a loud 'crack' that seemed to echo everywhere, the man slumped to the ground, a bullet piercing the helmet. 

"Come on! We have to move! Reinforcements will be here any minute!" Vincent ordered, motioning towards the cliffs that seemed so far away. 

Without more prompting, the four Turks ran, arming themselves as they went. They could hear the sounds of their pursuit close behind. It seemed they ran for hours, never stopping, never slowing, never losing their followers. To stand and fight might have been the easier way out, but there was a chance it would be suicide. 

As the sun finally began to set, they stopped, suspecting they had lost their pursuit. As the others squatted, panting for breath, Vincent looked around. They were in the midst of a sparse grove of trees that had managed to combat the cold enough to survive, but barely. The trees here were smaller and more thinned out then the ones they had seen closer to Icicle Village. Vincent took that as a sign that they were nearing Gaea's Cliffs, where the weather was even more extreme than it had been thus far. 

"Did we…lose them?" Reno gasped. 

"We had to have! There is no way they could have kept up! I mean, we had a head start, and-" Reno clapped a hand over Elena's mouth as Vincent's head whipped around. The female Turk glared murderously at the red-head, but he put his other hand on her head and forced her to crouch, refusing to release her mouth. He fell lower to the ground, as did the other two. Elena looked down to Reno's hand, considering biting. However, she stopped as she saw the ShinRa troops racing through the trees not too far away, narrowly missing their prey in their haste. 

When the four were finally certain they were safe, Reno released Elena. The woman turned on him vehemently, the fire in her blue eyes ready to burn Reno to a crisp. The red-headed Turk gave her a smirk and a shrug. She gave him a slap to the back of the head, and turned away in a huff. Reno opened his mouth, undoubtedly to make some witty comment, but Vincent interrupted. "Night falls soon. Come on." 

The feuding pair glowered at him, but followed mutely as he began walking towards the cliffs towering above them. The walk was not easy; more often than not some craggy hills or impassable brush would force them to change their course. Finally, Rude found a trail that led into a narrow ravine, and was clear of impediments. 

With their path now clear, they made good time towards their destination. Each kept their eyes wide open, ready for any sign of ambush. It wasn't long, however, before boredom took its toll. 

"Y'know, Reno, you could've just asked me to be quiet back there." 

The Turk gave her a cynical look, one eyebrow arched high. "Riiight." 

"I'm serious! You all always say I talk too much! I don't! I can be just as quiet as you can. I mean, you and Rude are the ones who are always chattering about who likes who!" That comment elicited a blush from Reno, and Rude turned away, lowering his head. "And you always treat me like I'm a kid! For goodness sake, I'm only a couple of years younger than you, Reno! And-" 

"Elena?" 

"Yes, Vincent?" 

"You talk too much." 

Elena stopped in her tracks. Vincent didn't look back, trying to hide a smile small. Rude hid what might have been a chuckle with a cough, and Reno guffawed. Elena dropped his fists to her hips, and screamed in frustration. Vincent turned, shocked. Reno looked around frantically, searching for somewhere to hide. 

Before Elena could begin what probably would have resulted in unconsciousness for several of the Turks, and likely many black eyes, she froze, as did the other three. Without words, Elena and Vincent dashed forward, past Rude and Reno, who were moving in the opposite direction. 

"Fire!" shouted the ShinRa commander, who had jumped from the side of the ravine with his men. Two landed ahead of the group, while the commander and his other two subordinates came from behind. The blue-clad troops dropped to one knee, bringing rifles up and quickly taking aim. They weren't quick enough to beat the best. 

Vincent dove to the side as the first guard locked on to him, drawing his gun in the same movement. In the same instant, two shots rang out. For a moment, neither moved. Finally, as the soldier slumped to the ground, a small bullet-hole decorating the center of his mask, Vincent stood, and nodded to himself in satisfaction. 

A second soldier didn't get the chance to fire. Reno charged at the man, electro-pole held as if he intended to bash the man with it. The ShinRa allowed himself a small grin under the mask, but just as he squeezed the trigger, electricity leapt from the pole, striking the end of the gun. The soldier jerked as the bolt arced up his arm, and the rifle dropped from nerveless fingers. 

Elena dove to the side suddenly, and the ShinRa facing her fired instinctively before he could readjust his aim. He took aim again, but Elena rolled, then dove back in the direction she had come, flinging an arm out. The soldier was about to order her to stay still when he looked down. His eyes widened as he saw the small dagger, framed in red, jutting out of his chest. He made one last feeble attempt to target Elena before succumbing to the wound and slumping to the ground. 

Rude took no chances. Just as the ShinRa targeting him began to fire, he hurled a small sphere to the ground between them. The soldier cried out as a flash of flight blinded him. He covered his eyes, too late. The first , and last, thing he saw as his vision returned was the sunglasses-wearing Turk. Rude slugged the man in the face, and the goggles cracked loudly. The soldier started to fall backwards, but Rude caught him by his rifle, and drew him forward onto his knee. The ShinRa made hurling noises as he fell to his knees, but the sound ended as Rude brought a fist down onto the back of the hapless man's neck. 

The commander drew his saber, ready to charge into the middle of the Turks. Reno beat him to it, his pole sweeping upwards from the left. The red-clad ShinRa parried the blow, then slashed at Reno's face. The Turk stepped back, spinning his electro-pole. Before the commander could bring his sword back into line, Reno brought his weapon up, into the man's stomach. With a gasp, the breath left the man's lungs. Reno smirked as he thumbed a switch on the pole, and after a muted sizzle the commander fell limply to the ground, saber dropping from his hand. 

The Turks dusted themselves off, regrouping. Vincent looked at the commander, and then to Reno, appraisingly. The red-head gave him a small smile and a nod, which Vincent returned. 

Suddenly, Vincent fell, his feet swept out from under him. The first soldier Reno had shocked wasn't completely out of commission, and quickly rose, his rifle slamming into Reno's chin. With a grunt, the Turk fell onto his back. The soldier rose completely, pointing his gun at Elena. He stopped, jerking, then fell forward. Rude stood behind him, holding the rifle of the soldier he had beaten. The butt of the gun had caved in the back of the man's helmet, and most likely his head. 

The two fallen Turks stood, regarded the others sheepishly, and dusted themselves off. "Shall we?" Vincent asked, motioning toward the mountain. Seeing the others nod grimly, he started forward, leaving the devastation and the five dead soldiers behind. The cliffs waited. 

****** 

In a dark room in the tower that was the center of the ShinRa complex built into the Northern crater, site of what had been the battle for the very existence of the planet a year earlier, a single man waited. The chair he was in was padded heavily, and made for comfort, but the man did not care for comfort, and sat erect in the chair. Behind him, one could see the busy activities of the ShinRa war machine, but the view was inconsequential. He sat alone, neither needing nor wanting the company of others. He was never really alone; he needed no one else. 

A timid knock broke the icy silence of the room. The man turned in his chair, and called out, "Come in." The words were precise, the tone emotionless. 

The person that entered the room was a large man, bulky and muscular, and wore a blue suit immaculately. He was one of the heads of what had been, and what would be again, the most powerful organization in the world. Neither political nor physical power mattered in this room, however. 

"Sir…I have the newest reports." The large man's voice was careful, and a bead of sweat worked its way down his jaw, even though the room's temperature was just a few degrees below what would have been comfortable. 

"Go on." 

The ShinRa head nodded. "First, reconstruction and modification of the areas damaged by Doctor Helt's…accident…are proceeding ahead of schedule." Seeing the shadowed man nod at this, he went on. "Second, the primary energy and production facilities are working at over two hundred percent of their predicted capability." The man nodded again, but the head paused before reporting the next information. "The weaponry and machinery factories, sir…are far behind schedule." 

Several moments passed in schedule. The expression on the man's face did not change, but the papers held by the ShinRa head began to rustle softly as his hands began to shake. "Give them a message. Tell them I am displeased, and I expect better. They know what will happen if they do not perform." 

The commander nodded, and swallowed loudly. If in the shoes of the men that were in charge of those facilities, he would be considering suicide. It would be less messy, and probably far more quick. "Ah, sir…we received a message from one of the special teams. They said they were…they are in position to 'clip the Condor's wings." 

The man stood at that. "Excellent. And of the team they sent here? Have they been eliminated?" 

The ShinRa head paled at that. "No sir. The troops outside have been ordered inside, and the Black Guard are posted at every possible entrance. They will get in, but no further." 

The man regarded the other coldly, then nodded his approval. "Very good. If they are harmed more than necessary, you will be held responsible. If you receive word that any have died on capture, or were heavily wounded, don't come back to inform me. Your replacement shall do that. Just report to Doctor Helt. He shall know what to do." 

At that, the bulky man froze, his eyes bulging and his throat too constricted to breathe. "Y…yes…yessir!" 

The dark man sat back down. "Leave me." 

Trying to keep himself from running, the man turned, and walked from the office. Once outside, after the door slid shut, he leaned against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief, before he walked down the hall. In the dark office he had just left, the dark man turned in his chair, looking outside. After he mumbled to himself in a voice just shy of silence, he turned back to the papers arranged neatly on his desk. His view went first to the letter opener that sat in a prominent position on his desk. He picked it up, staring at the symbol inscribed on the blade. A meteor shape was centered in a starburst with 13 rays. The rays were positioned so one more could fit, but it was absent. The man ran a finger over the symbol, and his expression was of ecstasy. 

Lowering the letter opener, he slid open a drawer in his desk and pulled out a manila envelope. He opened it carefully, and pulled out two large photographs. The first he regarded carefully. It showed four blue-clad professionals. One was a red-head, with his signature smirk. The second was a bald man, eyes hidden behind sunglasses. The third was a young woman, blond and pretty. The last was a black-haired man, eyes staring out from the photo coldly and confidently. 

The man returned that picture to the envelope. He had difficulty, as it was hard to fit the picture in, the way he hand was shaking. 

The other picture had a far more dramatic effect on the man. He trembled violently as he looked at the crowd of people, and he dropped the photograph on the desk. The people in the photo certainly were a mixed crowd: A spikey-haired blond warrior, a brown-headed girl leaning on his arm, a man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and pilot's goggles on his forehead, a red beast that stared impassively at the camera, a burly black man with a gun-arm, a teenage girl holding a large throwing star and wearing an obnoxious smile as she made bunny ears over the pilot's head, a cat riding a giant stuffed moogle, and a man clad in black, wearing a flowing cape. It was the blond man that wore the impressive sword on his back that had the most effect on the shadowed man. He glared at the photograph, and with a cry of rage slammed the letter opener into the photo, into the head of the warrior. He panted heavily as he griped the edge of his desk, then stood, turning away from the photo. 

"You shall get yours, Cloud Strife. We _will_ have out revenge." 

The impaled Cloud in the picture seemed to stare up at the back of the man, who was laughing manically. 

"Oh, yes! You will pay!" 


	6. 5: Infiltration

Author's note: Just fixed a few formatting issues. No new chapter at the moment, but I am currently halfway through with Chapter 6: Money, Fear, and Power. ^_^ It won't be long...(crosses fingers behind back just in case)

Chapter 5

Infiltration

"Oh my god."

Reno grimaced as he looked down at the smoking rubble that had been the helicopter that had brought them to Icicle Village. "Guess they got a little too close, taking those pictures."

Vincent glanced at Elena, who was covering her mouth, horrified. "We'll get them back for those men."

Rude nodded, clenching and unclenching his fists. Reno hefted his electro-pole. "There's men down there. Four. Checking for survivors, if its my guess."

Vincent nodded, eyes narrowing. He holstered his gun, and motioned toward the soldiers with his head. "We'll need ShinRa uniforms if we're going to get into the base. Four of us, four of them."

Elena looked at the soldiers, and then to the crashed helicopter. "We start the pay-back with them."

Vincent agreed with her, then motioned toward her sleeves, where she often hid her knives. "We need the uniforms untouched, and this close to the base we don't need to make any noise."

"Gotcha. Elena, distract them from that brush over there. Rude, you and me'll be close to her, and pick 'em off. Vincent, back us up."

The other three nodded to Reno's plan, and split up, going to their positions. The ShinRa troops, busy with their inspection, didn't notice. The three blue-clad troops scrambled over the burnt husk, checking for anything that might prove of use, while the red-suited commander alternated between giving a cautious eye to their surroundings and glaring threateningly at his men. "Hurry it up! We must report, our it'll be all of our asses!"

He froze as a loud crack broke the silence. He looked furtively around him, them raised his saber to point in the direction the sound had come from. "Unit 6, check it out."

"Yes sir." The soldier picked up his rifle and walked slowly toward the brush, searching around him. He reached the tallest part of the snow-covered plants, and turned to come back, but fell with a surprised cry, and didn't stand.

The commander shook his head wearily. "7, 8, go pick him up. The damn clutz."

Nodding, the two walked over towards the brush where their comrade had fallen. Suddenly, blue-suited men leapt from the plants nearby. One caught Unit 7 in the face with a right hook, dropping him, while the other shoved a pole into 8's stomach. With a loud sizzle, the soldier slumped to the ground.

"Die!" The commander drew his pistol and took aim, but never got the shot off. With a throaty gurgle, he noticed the metal claw that had wrapped itself around his neck. He felt himself be lifted off the ground, and then his head slammed into the ruined helicopter, and he knew no more.

Vincent smiled at his fellow Turks. They nodded to each other, and then went off to change into their new uniforms.

******

Deep in his office, high above the rest of the world, the shadowed man smiled. He glanced down at the report his secretary had brought him, and nodded. He hit a button on his desk, and a moment later the young man stepped into his office. "Send a message to Team 15. Tell them its time to bring the bird back to the ground."

The secretary nodded, and stepped out of the office. Once he was gone, the shadowed man turned his chair, looking down over templed fingers. He cocked his head the side, listening to a voice only he could hear, then nodded. "They shall die. All of them. She will be avenged today!"

******

Yawning, Cloud stretched as he walked down the hallways of the Avalanche base. Hearing his joints crackle, he stopped a moment to pop his neck, then continued walking, only to yawn again three steps later.

"Wow. You must have been up all night. 'Course, I can understand why, considering…hehe." Yuffie smirked at Cloud and Tifa, who gave her dangerous glares.

"Yuffie, if you don't hush, I'll 'remember' the Materia I found missing from my stuff." The lithe ninja stepped away from Cloud, slapping a hand over her own mouth. "And I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing happened. Tifa and I stayed up discussing battle plans, and what can be done about ShinRa's base up north."

"Yeah, he's telling the truth." Yuffie glanced at Tifa, seeing the older girl's shoulders slump a little and hearing the slight note of exasperation in her voice. "Nothing else happened, I swear."

Annoyed, Yuffie shrugged. "Whatever. Hey, y'know, I just happened to be looking around in the warehouse, and I saw this whole big room just full of great Materia-" Seeing Cloud glare at her, she hurried on. "No, I didn't take any, thank you! I just looked. Anyways, do ya think Reeve would let me have some? Not much, just a few…"  
"I'm pretty sure they're going to need all the Materia they have, Yuffie." Cloud sighed. "We all are going to need everything we have for this fight."

The teen thief moaned in disgust. "Oh, sure, be all gloomy! We're all going to die, ShinRa will win, oh help me please! Come on, Cloud! We kicked ShinRa's butt once, we'll do it again!" She punched at the air enthusiastically.

"Whatever you say, Yuffie." Cloud glanced up ahead, at the two guards that were at the end of the hall. "Hey, what's going on? Those guards-"

He jerked to a stop as one of the guards fell to the floor, blood trickling from the gash across his throat. The girls stopped too, eyes wide with shock. "How-"

Cloud whirled to the side, drawing the Ultima Weapon, as a man wearing black slashed through where he had been standing. The man turned, drawing another knife, and charged at him. Cloud didn't have time to worry about his friends as he desperately fought off the assassin.

Tifa and Yuffie were likewise occupied. Two men, also totally dressed in black complete with visored masks, stepped around the corner, and drew silenced pistols. The guns snapped up, but Yuffie was faster. With a cry, she threw a small sphere to the ground. The assassins covered their eyes a second too late, and a flash of light blinded them. When they could see again, the girls were on them.

Tifa smashed the head of the first into the wall behind him with a punch. As he rebounded, she caught him and with a twisting motion threw him over her shoulder. The man slammed into the ground, and she followed, driving her elbow into the mask concealing his face. She stood, certain he was unconscious, but his legs snapped up, catching her around the head. She cried out as he threw her forward, onto the ground. She managed to come up in a roll, but the assassin was also standing, twin blades out. She quickly drove her fist into his stomach, and raised her elbow to slam it onto the man's head, but he dropped, and his legs scythed her's out from under her. He tried to draw his knife through her as she fell, but she luckily twisted aside.

Tifa rolled away, rising to a crouch, but he was already on her, blades flashing. She dodged backwards, then charged suddenly past him. Twisting, she caught him in the lower back with a knee, and as she fell grabbed his head. With a crack, the assassin fell onto her, his neck snapped.

The assassin Yuffie was fighting flailed as her arm-guard drove his chin back. The ninja tried to slice him with the Conformer, but the man lashed out with a kick, which knocked her away. Seeing her fall, he took aim with his pistol, but the Conformer caught the hand holding it at the wrist. The man spared a glance at the stump where his hand had been, then flipped the knife he was holding in the other hand. Yuffie gave him a quick smile, and a stone on her wrist glowed before fire erupted from his clothes. The man died without a sound, stepping forward in a last attempt to kill his opponent before falling, smoking, to the ground.

Cloud dodged the knives of the first assassin, trying to get in a slash. His foe pressed him back, mercilessly, but never uttered a word. Cloud fended off both knives, then began to spin his weapon in a defensive pattern, forcing his opponent back. Then man flipped away, then made to charge again, but Cloud raised a hand. The assassin leapt over the Bolt spell, then came down behind Cloud, knife slashing at the warrior's neck. Cloud moved forward, then spun, raising a hand again. This time, the man charged, knives flashing, but instead of casting another spell Cloud also charged. The assassin didn't have time to dodge Cloud's diagonal slash, and his own attacks met only air. The black-clad man took two more steps, then fell onto his face, blood leaking out from under him.

"Not bad," Yuffie appraised, looking down at the corpse. 

Tifa glowered at the other woman, and a hand popped a stone from Yuffie's wristguard. Ignoring the ninja's "Hey!", Tifa growled, "That's _my_ Fire Materia!" 

Yuffie blushed, scratching her head, but Cloud interrupted any excuses she might have had. "There's probably more! Come on, we have to help the others!"

All arguments forgotten, the two nodded, and followed him as he ran down the hall.

******

"It's not what I had expected."

Vincent had to nod, staring at the pair of guards standing at the mouth of a cave a short distance from them. "Security's pretty lax, for such a large base. Must have more men inside, where we can't see them."

The other Turks nodded, all having come to the same conclusion. Now clad in ShinRa uniforms, with Vincent donning the officer's red suit and the others in common blue, they were prepared to infiltrate the base. They were huddled atop a snow-covered hill not far from the cliff walls, which seemed completely vertical from the angle at which they could see it now.

"Seems a bit suspicious," Elena mused, her voice muffled from the helmet which encased her entire head. She removed it from her head, looking up to her hair and regretting having to wear the blasted thing.

"Naw," Reno said, smirking down at the pair of oblivious guards. "I always thought without Heiddegger to keep them in line, the army would fall to crap. Some discipline!"

Elena snickered. "This coming from the man that can barely stay awake through five minutes of a mission briefing?" 

"Better that than an obnoxious little snit that doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut!"

"Oh, yeah! Well, how about a raging alcoholic that hasn't had a steady girlfriend since he was three?"

"Ha! You're one to be talking about romance, considering-!"

Before either could say another word, the other two Turks acted. Rude quickly, and not very lightly from the look of pain on Reno's face, slugged his partner on the arm. Vincent covered Elena's mouth with his metal claw. "Enough!" Vincent hissed, red eyes flashing.

The feuding pair had the decency to look abashed, but that was it. The second Vincent and Rude turned back to the base, they shot bladed glares at each other.

"Twit," Reno snarled.

"Ass," Elena sneered.

Sighing in frustration, Vincent put on the helmet of his uniform, and motioned the other bare-headed Turks to do the same. Once they had, he gave each of them a warning glance. "Remember, stick together. I'll head alone for the lower areas, you three take the upper ones. Try to find out any vital information you can about what they are doing and who is leading them, then get out. We're in and out, so don't take your time. Be at elevator back down on time. And keep it quiet. No fighting. Got me?" He demanded, looking especially hard at Reno.

The Turk's smirk was hid under his helmet, but by the way he stood it was obviously there. "Got you, boss."

The four started down the hill, walking with backs straight and 'borrowed' rifles held in exact angles. However, as they were nearing the base, Reno sidled over to Rude. In a low whisper, inaudible to at least one of his teammates, he demanded, "So, why'd you hit me for?"

Rude didn't glance over at him. "Because."

"Because what, you thick-headed moron?"

"Because you deserved it."

Reno sighed self-piteously. "He always takes the rookie's side," he grumbled to himself.

Once they had reached the entrance into the cave, the blue-suited guards snapped into attention, saluting Vincent crisply. The man paused, then returned the gesture, before walking past the men and towards the large metal doors that were apparently set into the cave wall. Vincent slid the ID card he had appropriated from the captain through a reader and slapped a button on the wall, and the doors slid open, and the four stepped inside. Before the doors could close, however, two more men stepped in, laughing a talking between themselves. Reno, being closest to the controls, reached for them, but stopped when he saw that the monitor above the controls read 'Enter Password.' He exchanged a glance with the others, concerned, but was spared the trouble of having to figure out a new course of action. Without turning from his conversation, one of the ShinRa men that had come into the elevator with them said, "Let me get that for you. I always forget my password, too."

Reno nodded at the man gratefully, then stepped back to his allies, concealing a relieved sigh. The elevator started upwards smoothly, the ride seeming to last forever despite the sensation of moving at a very fast acceleration. The Turks stood at the back of the elevator, standing motionlessly, while they listened to the two ShinRa troops chatter. Their eavesdropping came to naught, however, since the two men were more concerned with bickering about the quality of the base's bars and the alcohol served there than with discussing more confidential information. 

Finally, the elevator slowed to a stop, the doors opening soundlessly. The two soldiers stepped out first, and the Turks were right behind, trying to blend in with them. They were in a rather plain corridor, the walls unmarked and undecorated. Not far ahead of them, the corridor split four ways. When they reached the junction, the Turks stopped, the men they had been following taking the right path. Vincent consulted a panel on the wall, marked with arrows and destinations.

"Hmm…according to this, the laboratories are to the left. That should be worth checking out. As for you three…"

Reno shook his head. "Straight ahead, and up as high as we can go. Predictable ShinRa mindset."

"Right. Keep it quiet, act like you have a reason to be going there."

The other three Turks nodded, then all simultaneously checked their watches. "Meet back at the elevator in two hours."

"Emergency plan?"

Vincent paused. "Make for a helicopter landing pad. We'll meet up back in Icicle Village if things go bad."

"Sounds good. Good luck."

Vincent smiled grimly. "Who needs luck when you're a Turk?"

Chuckling, Reno watched Vincent go off alone down the corridor he had chosen. Turning to nod at his team, he started down the center path. As he walked, he considered their path to the top. Basic ShinRa procedure involved a series of elevators with passkeys needed to get to the higher levels. Also, a massive series of stairs probably led up most of the building, if this place was anything like the previous ShinRa headquarters. Reno considered that option for a scant second, then rejected it. After all, after a certain group of infiltrators had used the stairs to break into ShinRa and challenge the old boss, the stairs would probably be guarded. Reno was thankful for this excuse; he really didn't enjoy the idea of climbing a nearly endless set of stairs.

His ponderings on their route were cut short as he noticed a black-clad ShinRa soldier walking behind them. He was glad he was wearing a helmet when he glanced back, because had he not have been, the man would have noticed Reno's eyes widening. The soldier was massive, at least eight feet tall. He carried his rifle across his chest, and a wicked bayonet protruded below the barrel of the gun. 

Reno turned his gaze straight ahead, ignoring the man. His unease grew when another black-clad man, the same massive size, stepped out of a side corridor in front of them. Reno surreptitiously motioned to his teammates to make the next possible right. When the corridor came, however, they didn't get a chance. Four men, wearing the same black colors, stepped out to walk beside them. Reno didn't have to look to realize that another four had come to walk on their other side. They were completely penned in now.

The man walking in front of them glanced back as he stopped. All of the other men stopped as well, and the Turks were forced to since they had nowhere else to go. The soldier chuckled ominously as the troops to either side reached out and took the rifles from the Turks. "What's going on?" Reno said, feigning confusion.

"Cut the crap. You're being taken to see the boss. Behave or not; I don't care. I don't think it matters whether you walk up to see him or if we have to drag you."

Reno sighed, his hand straying down to where he had sheathed his electro-pole, which he had folded up to conceal it. "I still don't know what you're talking-" He froze as he felt a prick at the back of his neck. He could hear the man behind him, the one holding the deadly point of the bayonet to his neck, laugh humorlessly.

"Not a good idea, rookie."

"Listen, you don't seem to understand. We're just heading off for a little R&R, we haven't done anything-"

Reno picked himself off the ground a second later, his eyes dancing with black spots and a loud ringing in his ears deafening him. Hands clutched at his helmet, and it was pulled away. From the sounds around him, he could tell the other Turks had gotten the same treatment. "Get up," ordered the soldier, and Reno felt himself being picked up by the armpits. "We have an appointment to make."

Reno didn't have to see the faces of his companions to know they all shared the same grim look. They had wanted to get to the top; they had found their way, for better or worse. He just prayed that Vincent was having a little more luck.

******

The sound of gunfire echoed down the halls of the Avalanche Foundation's headquarters. Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie picked up their pace, dashing up a flight of stairs. When they emerged from the stairway, they were in a hallway lined on one side by massive floor-to-ceiling windows. At one end of the hall, Cid was fending off an assassin, his spear keeping the man, already bleeding from several wounds, at bay. At the other end, Barret was gunning down another black-clad killer, pumping round after round into the walls as he tracked the man.

Yuffie ran off to assist Cid as Cloud and Tifa turned towards Barret. They stopped halfway there, however, as Barret's bullets caught up with the man, sending him convulsing down to the ground. Barret turned to the two, giving them a grave smile, which Cloud returned. However, Cloud's expression quickly turned to one of fear as he spotted the man behind Barret. "Look out!"

"Shit!" Barret roared, feeling a bullet graze his shoulder. He started to spin, but he was too late, the man was already aiming for his head. He wasn't going to be able to move in time.

A red blur came from the corridor to the side of the gunman. He didn't even get to cry out as Red XIII slammed into his side, knocking him into and through the window beside him. The glass shattered as both the assassin and Red plummeted out and down the side of the high-rise.

"Red!" The three dashed to the window, looking down, praying to see their friend despite the slim chances. Still, they were all known for defying the odds, and this time was no different. They looked down to see Red desperately clutching to the sill of the window with his front paws, desperately scrabbling to keep a grip. The gunman was nowhere to be seen, but, after a fall like he was having, it was doubtful they would want to see him. It was, after all, a _long_ way down.

"Mind giving me a hand?" Red howled, trying not to look down.

After they had pulled him back in, the group turned to see a rather winded Cid and a smiling Yuffie walk up. The assassin Cid had been fighting was slumped motionlessly against a wall. Cloud nodded at them, and then turned, thinking about their course of action. Tifa beat him to it, however. "They're probably here after the heads of the company! Reeve!"

The six dashed for the stairs again, making their way up. They could hear gunfire still raging down one hall, but paid it no mind, hoping that whoever was fighting could take care of themselves. It wasn't long before they reached the top levels, and the door to Reeve's office.

Cloud instinctively spun as the neared the door, his blade knocking one black-clad killer back as he leapt from a shadowy corner of the room. The man rebounded, but the Conformer slammed into his side, and soon after the Ultima Blade finished the job. On the other side, Tifa dropped another attacker to the ground and a stab by Cid left the man twitching as he died. The friends looked to the door, preparing to open it, but the sounds inside stopped them.

Inside, a woman shrieked in fear. A loud crash, the sound of a door being knocked down, was immediately followed by gunshots. Then, there was silence.

Cloud's face fell as he closed his eyes in futile anger. They were too late.

******

"Did he come by here?"

"Haven't seen him."

"Man! We're in some deep trouble if we can't find him!"

Vincent smiled as he listened to the conversation between the two guards. He had ducked into a small janitorial closet just in time to be seen by the two. It had been a close call, but in the past few minutes he had found himself getting used to them. Security might have been lax outside, but inside it was like trying to crawl through a spider web of guards and security cameras. Some of his enthusiasm was curbed as he considered the danger the other Turks must be in, but he had no time to worry about that now. He had his own mission to complete at the moment.

"I'll check back this way. You head for the labs!"

Vincent paused, waiting until the footfalls had passed far enough away, and then slipped out of the closet. He made his way down the hall, glancing from side to side, hand ready to dart to his pistol. So far, he had avoided trouble, but he wasn't willing to let his guard down.

It took him a long while, at the cautious, watchful pace he made, to reach the laboratories. He grimaced as he looked around a corner to see two guards standing alertly at either side of the sealed-off entrance to the labs. He fingered a throwing dagger he had acquired from Avalanche's storeroom. This was going to be tricky.

And the sound of a loud clang from around the corner, one of the guards turned to the other. "Stay here, I'll check it out." The other nodded, tightening his grip on his weapon. The first man walked cautiously up to the passage, looking around it, then turning the corner. After a moment, his fellow scratched his head. "You find anything?"

The first man came back around, hands at his sides. It took a moment for his partner at the door to realize the significance of the fact that his companion wasn't talking and that his feet weren't really touching the ground. He lunged for an alarm on the wall next to him. Vincent dropped the guard he had been carrying in front of him, and flung his arm out as he charged silently down the hall. The surviving guard yelped as the throwing dagger buried itself in his wrist. He fumbled for his weapon, but Vincent was on him before he had a chance. Cold metal claws wrapped around his throat as the disguised hero slammed the man against the doors, raising him up off the ground. The man struggled for a moment, tearing at the grip that was depriving his brain of oxygen, but the hand wouldn't yield.

Vincent returned to the doors a moment later, after leaving two rather unpleasant surprises for the next janitor to come around. He had shed his red uniform, understanding that it had worked against him as much as his normal attire would. His was the only red uniform he had seen since he had realized he was being hunted. If he was going to have to fight for his life, he preferred to do it in his normal clothes. He swiped the ID card he had acquired from one of the guards through the slot next to the door as he hefted his gun. He wasn't far from his destination, but that just meant the stakes were higher. He had to be ready for anything.

All he found on the other side of the door was an empty, sterile corridor. He walked in, glancing around, searching for a trap. Nothing presented itself, so he made his way onward. It wasn't long before he was faced with another crossroads. On either side were halls leading to more massive doors. These were heavily guarded, and Vincent shook his head before even considering taking on that many blue-clad troops. Directly in front of him, however, was a corridor lined with doors. Offices, he hoped, opting for the middle path. Offices with computers for him to crack and files for him to steal.

He stopped at one door, listening for voices from within. He frowned as he heard a rather irate voice loudly bemoaning the current state of security. "I swear, how do they expect us to get the weapons finished before the deadline if they keep hassling us with trivial things like this? No fool will make it down here, and if he does, I'm sure our much vaunted security force can eliminate him. No need to escort everyone but military personnel out of the labs. I have work to finish!"

"Dr. Hest, they told us this shouldn't take long. Its just one man, they've caught the others. This last one shouldn't pose too much of a problem."

Vincent froze. The words were troubling in and of themselves, but the voice…! He shook his head, dismissing memories and impossible thoughts. He had to get the information quick, and get moving to free the other Turks, if he could.

"Bah! One man? One man destroyed everything these fools hoped to have, and now they want this one man to pick up the pieces! I am getting seriously upset with this overflow of incompetence I find myself swamped in."

"Dr. Hest, you really shouldn't say things like that. I mean,-"

Vincent moved away from the door and the disquieting voice he could hear inside. He shuddered slightly as he moved to the next room. No light came from inside, so he slipped in, closing the door behind him silently and locking it. He allowed himself a small smile as he looked at the file cabinets lining the walls and, more importantly, the rather outdated computer sitting on the desk in the center of the room. He moved to it, pulling a disk from his pocket and booting up the computer. He winced as the machine screeched for a second as it turned on. Fortunately, from the office he had just left he could hear the sounds of frustrated shouting, and it didn't seem anyone would be able to hear the noise he had made over that bellowing. Sighing in relief, he turned back to his task.

It took only a moment for him to load up the computer and after a second of searching he started downloading information from the computer onto the disk. Most of it would be encrypted or password protected, he knew, but that would be a job for the hackers at Avalanche to see to. His was just to get the information and bring it to them, not decipher what it meant.

He pushed away from the computer, scanning the file cabinets in the dim light provided to him by the aged monitor. Finding files worth anything, he knew, would be a matter of luck. He was on a limited budget as far as time went, and he certainly couldn't carry too much out and still be ready to fight. He glanced around, not knowing where to begin.

He froze as he heard a slight click behind him. He whirled, hand diving down to his pistol in a smooth motion. He didn't make it.

"I wouldn't, if I were you, bub. I'm pretty good with this pistol."

Vincent swallowed loudly, his eyes bulging. He couldn't make out much about the figure standing before him. She was dressed in a lab coat, precise and perfect. She had her hands out before her, holding her pistol in a certain, unshaking grip, the nose of the gun pointed right for his heart. He couldn't make out her face, though. His eyes had gotten used to the dark of the room, and the light from the window of the door she had closed behind her stung his eyes, keeping him from looking at her face. Still, he could make out the brown bangs framing a pair of square-framed glasses. He choked silently at the sound of the voice. He had thought himself crazy when he had heard it as he eavesdropped in the hall. He believed the door had muffled it, distorted it. But now…there could be no mistake…

Vincent took a step forward, hope blossoming in a heart so unused to the feeling. He looked pleadingly at the woman, praying he wasn't mistaken, praying he wasn't crazy.

"Stop! I'm not afraid to shoot."

Vincent stopped, gasping for breath. Could it be…

"…Lucrecia?…"

******

"Nice place you execs got here. Bet that carpet must be a pain to keep clean, though."

"Shut up, jackass."

Reno smiled as he wiped a hand across his mouth, checking it for blood after the most recent blow the guard had dealt him. He smirked at the man. "Just trying to make conversation. Geez, that must be a really sharp stick you have up your-"

Reno's head snapped back as the man slugged him in the face. Still, after his head stopped spinning, he managed a chuckle. He opened his mouth to make another comment, but, before he could, the soldier behind him slammed a fist into his kidneys. Reno groaned, dropping to his knees.

"Cut it out, Reno!" Elena yelled, her voice heavy with concern. Those were the only words she had spoken during the entire ordeal. Rude had predictably remained silent.

"Brave. Not that it really matters."

Reno looked up to consider the man that had spoken. He was bulky, with the stance and form of a body builder. He loomed over the Turks, and Reno had the feeling that even Rude would be hard pressed to beat him in a fistfight. From the crooked turn in his nose, it was obvious fistfights were something the man was accustomed to. His blond hair was cut military-short, and his blue businessman suit was in immaculate order. The man's steel blue eyes glinted down at them over his cold smirk.

"My name is Mr. Tergan. I'm head of the Peace Preservation Office at the new ShinRa Inc. If you will follow me, I will take you to the President."

"So, you're the guy the inherited Heidegger's job, eh? Here's hoping you don't share the same fate."

Tergan sneered down at Reno. "Don't worry about that." He glanced at the soldiers at either side of Reno. "Stand him up."

Reno batted the men's hands away, forcing himself to his feet. "I'll walk on my own, thanks."

Tergan nodded at him condescendingly, then knocked at the door behind him.

"Enter."

The Turks shared an anxious glance as Tergan pushed the door open. They had come to this base hoping to find out information about the ShinRa boss, not to meet him face to face. Reno gave his teammates a nod, his chin set solidly. Even if he was about to die, he wasn't going to let the bastard see him flinch once!

The four of them went into the room, leaving the guards behind. The room was spartan, with no decoration or any sign of life. The light inside was very dim, most of it coming from the window that formed the entire back wall, through which shown the nighttime lights of the ShinRa base. The only furniture was a massive oak desk, the expanse on top of it clear except for a few neatly organized papers and a letter opener, and a heavily padded chair with its back turned to the Turks. The three mercenaries paused, waiting tensely for the chair to turn.

It obliged them a second later. Reno gasped, feeling as though he had been poleaxed. He could hear Rude grunt in surprise behind him, and Elena whispered a quiet "It can't be…" The figure in the chair smiled at them coldly as he spread his hands in greeting.

"Welcome to the new ShinRa Incorporated," said Tseng. "I hope you will enjoy your stay with us. Because you will be here for a very, very long time." 


End file.
